South Africa welcomes cease-fire deal between Lebanon, Israel

By Hassan Isilow

South Africa welcomed a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Lebanon that took effect early Wednesday.

“South Africa hopes that the cease-fire will de-escalate tensions in the region, and we reiterate that we stand in solidarity with the Government and people of Lebanon and express our support for the implementation of the agreement,” a Foreign Ministry statement said late Wednesday.

Pretoria said the vital act of de-escalation underscores the supremacy of diplomacy and significantly mitigates the human suffering caused by indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure.

South Africa called on all parties to fully adhere to the cease-fire deal, expressing hope that a permanent cessation of hostilities will follow, ending the conflict across the Israeli-Lebanese border, which has indiscriminately killed thousands of Lebanese people, many of them women and children.

Africa's most industrialized economy also called for a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, reiterating its call for the international community to respect and adhere to UN resolutions, international law, and international humanitarian law.

The cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon took effect hours after US President Joe Biden said a proposal to end the conflict had been reached, amid hopes it would stop Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese towns and cities and end the year-long cross-border fighting.

Over 3,800 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon and over 1 million displaced since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.